Hydrangea plant named ‘Claudie’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘Claudie’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; glossy foliage; inflorescences held upright and outward on strong stems; lacecap-type inflorescences; and numerous fertile flowers per inflorescence and large showy sepals on the sterile flowers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Hydrangea macrophylla cultivar Claudie.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea macrophylla, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Claudie.

The new Hydrangea originated from a cross-pollination during the spring of 1997 of a unnamed selection of Hydrangea macrophylla, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Hydrangea macrophylla, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Claudie was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Varengeville S'mer, France.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by softwood cuttings in Varengeville S'mer, France since the summer of 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Claudie have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Claudie’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Claudie’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Glossy foliage.     -   3. Inflorescences held upright and outward on strong stems.     -   4. Lacecap-type inflorescences.     -   5. Numerous fertile flowers per inflorescence and large showy         sepals on the sterile flowers.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ from plants of female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Flower sepals of plants of the new Hydrangea are narrower         than flower sepals of plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Flower sepals of plants of the new Hydrangea are         widely-spaced and do not overlap whereas flower sepals of plants         of the female parent selection are overlapping.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of the Hydrangea macrophylla cultivar Mousmee, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Hydrangea differed from plants of the cultivar Mousmee in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea are shorter than plants of the         cultivar Mousmee.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have shorter internodes than         plants of the cultivar Mousmee.     -   3. Plants of the new Hydrangea are not as freely flowering as         plants of the cultivar Mousmee.     -   4. Flower sepals of plants of the new Hydrangea are narrower         than flower sepals of plants of the cultivar Mousmee.     -   5. Flower sepals of plants of the new Hydrangea are         widely-spaced and do not overlap whereas flower sepals of plants         of the cultivar Mousmee are overlapping.     -   6. Plants of the new Hydrangea have lighter colored flower         sepals than plants of the cultivar Mousmee.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Hydrangea.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Claudie’.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Claudie’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the following description were grown in Grand Haven, Mich., in ground beds in an outdoor nursery and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions. Plants were about four years old when the photographs and description were taken and the pH level of the soil was about 6.5. Photographs and description were taken during the summer and fall when the plants were in full flower.

-   Botanical classification: Hydrangea macrophylla cultivar Claudie. -   Parentage:     -   -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Hydrangea             macrophylla, not patented.         -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unknown Hydrangea macrophylla             selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days at 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner.—About two months             at 23° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; creamy white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form/growth habit.—Upright and outwardly spreading plant             habit; round in overall shape; dense and bushy perennial             shrub. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of plant plane.—About 80 cm.         -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 84 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching, about 18 lateral branches             per plant. Pruning will enhance branching potential.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 27 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 4.5 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: 143C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length:             About 17 cm. Width: About 10 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Obtuse to cuneate. Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Thick, leathery; glabrous; rugose. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 146A; glossy. Developing and fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper             surface: 145B. Venation, lower surface: 145C. Petiole:             Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 145C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single fertile and sterile flowers             arranged on terminal panicles in a lacecap formation.             Sterile flowers with large showy sepals and without petals             and reproductive organs. Fertile flowers small with petals,             sepals and reproductive organs. Flowers persistent. Flowers             not fragrant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering from June             until frost in Grand Haven, Mich.         -   Flower longevity.—Sterile flowers last about three months on             the plant; fertile flowers last about 26 days on the plant.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; about nine sterile             flowers and about 625 fertile flowers per panicle.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 21 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 7 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—Fertile flowers: About 6 mm. Sterile             flowers: About 6 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—Fertile flowers: About 4 mm. Sterile             flowers: About 3 mm.         -   Flower buds (fertile and sterile flowers).—Length: About             2 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: 144B.         -   Petals (petals present only on fertile flowers; sterile             flowers do not have petals).—Quantity per flower: About             four. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:             Subulate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 72A; color             becoming closer to 72C with development. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: 72C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower, fertile and sterile flowers:             Fertile flowers: About five, fused into a calyx. Sterile             flowers: About four, not fused. Length: Fertile flowers:             About 0.5 mm. Sterile flowers: About 3 cm. Width: Fertile             flowers: About 0.5 mm. Sterile flowers: About 2.2 mm. Shape:             Fertile flowers: Acute with lobation. Sterile flowers:             Obovate. Apex: Fertile flowers: Acute. Sterile flowers:             Acute to somewhat obtuse. Base: Fertile flowers: Fused.             Sterile flowers: Cuneate to attenuate. Margin, fertile and             sterile flowers: Entire. Texture, fertile and sterile             flowers, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Fertile flowers: When opening and fully opened, upper             surface: 72A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             72C. Sterile flowers: When opening, upper surface: 66B. When             opening, lower surface: 66C. Fully opened, upper surface:             66C; color becoming closer to 66D with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: 66D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Angle:             About 15° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Slightly             pubescent. Color: 60C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: Fertile flowers: About 5 mm. Sterile             flowers: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: Fertile flowers: About             1.5 mm. Sterile flowers: About 1.5 mm. Angle: Fertile             flowers: About 15° from vertical. Sterile flowers: About 45°             from vertical. Strength: Fertile flowers: Strong. Sterile             flowers: Weak to moderately strong. Texture: Fertile             flowers: Very slightly pubescent. Sterile flowers: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, fertile and sterile flowers: 61B.         -   Reproductive organs (reproductive organs present only on             fertile flowers; sterile flowers do not have reproductive             organs).—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About eight. Anther             shape: Round. Anther length: About 0.75 mm. Anther color:             198D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 198D. Pistils:             Pistil quantity per flower: About four. Pistil length: Less             than 0.5 mm. Stigma shape: Three-lobed. Stigma color: 61A.             Style length: Less than 0.5 mm. Style color: 61A. Ovary             color: 186D. Seed: Seed development has not been observed.             Fruit: Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 137C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Under commercial production conditions,     plants of the new Hydrangea have been observed to be resistant to     Mildews. Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed to be     resistant to pests or other pathogens common to Hydrangea. -   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been shown to be     tolerant to temperatures ranging from −25 to 34° C. Flowers of     plants have exhibited excellent tolerance to wind and rain. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant named ‘Claudie’, as illustrated and described. 